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When we see things happening in society and fail to QUESTION it, we are actually, failing to grow. If we are not part of the solution, we are part of the problem. Why is most of society in poverty? Why are there so many homeless people on the streets in every city you visit? Why are there so many children in foster care? Why do we have so many in private prisons? Why isn’t financial education courses taught in schools? Why are history books so outdated? Makes you think, right?! I hope so. Ask the questions, think of solutions, we can make a difference. Song by Billy Holiday “God Bless the child”.

Them that’s got shall get Them that’s not shall lose So the Bible said and it still is news Mama may have, Papa may have But God bless the child that’s got his own That’s got his own

Yes, the strong gets more While the weak ones fade Empty pockets don’t ever make the grade Mama may have, Papa may have But God bless the child that’s got his own That’s got his own

Money, you’ve got lots of friends Crowding round the door When you’re gone and spending ends They don’t come no more Rich relations give Crust of bread and such You can help yourself But don’t take too much Mama may have, Papa may have But God bless the child that’s got his own That’s got his own

Part Two:

Greetings, yes I’m back (without a headache this time)!

I recommend reading Part One before jumping into this section; however that is entirely your choice. I think it’s only fair to let you know a little about myself: I don’t recommend anything or speak on a subject unless I’ve tried it or know a little something about it from experience. Outside of earning a degree in Business Administration and a minor in Accounting and Finance, I also work in the banking sector and see actual transactions from people like you and me all the time.

When we (my colleagues and I) started receiving calls about Coinbase transactions, everybody started freaking out, myself included. We had to learn quickly about the terms and how to explain and/or refer them back to the company they were using (in this case, Coinbase). Some millennial were aware of terms like Coinbase and Cryptocurrency, but it was something new to us “old wigs” (trust me, I don’t like the term either, but you get the idea).

Now I must tell you, I was feeling a bit antiquated with this cypto thing so I decided to get myself in the game. I did some research, and opened up a Coinbase account.

Understanding that these cryptocurrencies are so volatile, I spent only what I was willing to lose – $10 bucks. Laugh if you will; I’m getting too old for big losses at this stage in my life (disclosure: because past experience isn’t a guarantee of future projections/profits). That was in January 2018, when Bitcoin was trending at $15k and climbing! I knew I’d never get rich off of Bitcoin but I was doing the damn thing! I’m part of this history and if I never do anything else with these coins, I’m satisfied with the experience.

When I went back to work, I was posting comments and explanations in our chats and feeling pretty darn proud of myself. I also found some interesting things to put my pinky in like – GDAX- which allows trades for free and works well with Coinbase and Coinpot (where dothey get these names from ) – a digital wallet used to stash coins. Once I started digging deeper, I found an external wallet that is safer than digital/online wallets called “Exodus” which can be installed on your own laptop.

Greetings fellow readers and bloggers. I hope your year thus far, has been a prosperous journey. If you’ve experienced valleys and mountains along the way, then you’re growing and hopefully learning valuable lessons. I’m certain there’s some that you will definitely want to share with friends, family and acquaintances, as I share with you.

The end of year is fast approaching so I’m dedicating this post to “seeing the big picture” of our personal finances and the importance of knowing this information helps in managing/reaching other goals without sacrificing the things we enjoy (vacations, funerals, medical emergencies, unexpected bills, etc.).

A few months ago, a friend walked up to me after a meeting we both attended on personal finance, we hadn’t seen each other in years and decided to have lunch to catch up on things. We exchanged numbers, hugged and went our separate ways with a promise to chat later. Jane Doe seemed happy and successful, I watched her walk away escorted by her driver to her limo and thought with a smile ‘it must be nice’.

It had been a month since our meeting. I honestly didn’t think I would get a call from her so I was pleasantly surprised to hear her voice on the other end of my phone. Jane sounded distraught and told me her husband passed and she could really use some help with her books. It took me a moment to grasp exactly what she meant about her books, I was sure she had an accountant to handle those things for her I mean she had a driver and a limo! When I asked her did she need some editing done she began laughing and said “no”. Read the rest of this entry »

Let’s face it- some of us are living beyond our means, in staggering debt, and not exercising enough and it’s by our own doing (or not doing)! Yep, there I said it! No excuses, and no apologies!

The first step to success is to admit to a problem and then find ways to solve it. These challenges will take us into the next year and start a snowball effect that will drastically change our lives- are you up for it? So, I challenge you to do one if not more of the following with me and see where we end up. Here’s a list of the following challenges. Your mission, if you decide to take it-

Read the following blog articles and/or video challenges, then choose one (or all three) to work on:

How is everyone? I hope you are living a life of abundance and love. If you’re anything like me, prioritizing a to-do-list may give you a headache. Even though it’s my least favorite task, because I would prefer to not be limited or constrained, it’s just the way it is….it must be done. These days time management is imperative. Most of my days have been spent reading books and writing reviews, traveling to market my book, Journey Into Finance in various bookstores and libraries and working a full time job.

Enter to Win

At the time I wrote this, it was raining outside, and I was enjoying a warm cup of coffee and some time writing and catching up with my readers. I’d love to hear from you as fellow bloggers and writers about tips on managing your time while keeping your fans engaged. I’m always open to ideas, so leave your comments below.

Managing time effectively is a powerful asset because without it life can become chaotic. Who needs chaos in their life? Definitely not me and I’m sure you don’t either. Chaos is an emotional overload of the brain that causes a rift throwing us off balance and will affect our ability to maximize our precious time.

>Here are a few tips I picked up:

Rise early and meditate– before everyone gets up, take that time for a little introspection (prayer) and do not think about anything work related for at least 30 minutes.

Set a routine for yourself– everything has it’s time and place, make sure to follow a specific routine and make time for the unexpected (the what-if’s)

Be truthful to yourself and Others– if you just can’t do it- say NO. There’s no sense in beating around the bush, just get to the point with no regrets.

Step away (take a walk, exercise, drink some water, eat something healthy, go outside)– nothing is more important than your own peace of mind. If you get stuck on a project- ,move around and come back to it.

Take it easy on yourself– you are doing the best you can and if you know that you’re not, do better.

Staying balanced is key to optimal health and wealth. As I remind others, I’m also a reminder to myself for my ears and eyes are closer to me than they are to anyone else. As always, remember to like, share and/or comment.

Being a great leader stems from being a great follower. Over the years I have been emphasizing the importance of money management (a taboo topic) and breaking the cycle of ignorance that has plagued the black/African American consumers for years. I’m pleased to say “it’s working!!”

More and more businesses are now marketing their efforts to the under-served families in and around their communities bringing awareness and reinforcing the ideology of building generational wealth.

Journey Into Finance is not only about creating wealth in finances, but learning about personal triggers that cause toxicity in our lives and how to overcome them. I share what has helped me through my life journey change personal struggles into triumphs,and enriched my mind, body and spirit.

I thank you for joining me and encourage you to keep pressing forward, because eventually, it’ll pay off.

Credit/Debit Card Fraud! Oh No!

Greetings follow bloggers and visitors!

‘Tis the season for scammers and all that’s worrisome during the shopping season! But don’t fret, here are 4 ways to protect your account(s):

We all know too well that no matter how safe you are with your credit card and debit card accounts, fraud can still happen. So, sign up for alerts through text and/or email about a purchase so you can take action immediately, if you notice something suspicious.

While we’re bustling around from store to store- get receipts for every purchase and use this once you are settled at home to confirm any amount that appears on your account activity. You might be surprised to know that many customers can’t remember if they shopped at a particular store within a certain time-frame and receipts can help filter out fraudulent/unrecognized charges.

Monitor your accounts regularly. With today’s technology, it’s really easy to check on your accounts. Even if you are averse to change (yes, there are some people who prefer to stick to outdated paradigms, like telephone banking i.e.- using the banks automated phone system to listen to their transactions), one must review transaction history in case a merchant inadvertently charged twice for the same item. It happens, and due diligence on our part will help discover discrepancies early to fix it while it’s still pending. Once it posts to your account, it will take longer to get your money back. In most instances, you can call the merchant and the error can be fixed immediately, other times it can take a few days to fall off the account.

If you see inaccuracies, contact your bank as soon as possible, and cancel or close the credit/debit card and have a new one issued, if warranted. Keep your cool and stay alert during this shopping season.

Hello fellow readers and bloggers! I’ve been reading your thoughts and I’m always impressed. Keep up the good work!

So let’s catch up on this journey of mine called life. These days I’m excited about my early retirement, yes leaving corporate America while I can still enjoy camping and hiking like a teenager. Plan “A” has worked out good (the earlier one starts the better outcome, unless we have another Wall Street melt-down), and now on to Plan “B”, which is reinventing “ME”! Yay 🙌

My reading challenge has expanded exponentially through Audible (yes, click the hyperlink and help me earn some credits/mullahs$$$ 😎)!

In an earlier post, I mentioned a reading challenge I signed up for and used the audible app to listen while commuting to and from work, during my lunch break and while exercising. Getting that free credit point once a month helped me stack up on some good books and pick up a new term like ‘underachievers of wealth’ (UAWs) from the book “Millionaire Mind Set’. Yep, always learning and growing.

I’ve worked in the financial field for over 18 years and it still amazes me how little information our youth and some adults know about banking and what affects their credit scores, especially with so much technology and information within reach of our fingertips. I’ll leave this topic for another blog post in the near future. But before I continue on with the task at hand, let me point my knowledge seekers to a post I wrote some time back about the subject on my blog:

TIP- Did you know that an overdrawn checking account does not get reported to the credit bureaus? The only time a bank will report to the credit bureau is if you have a charged off account. A charged off account is one that has been overdrawn so long that the bank will send it to collections (debt collectors) and let the credit bureaus know so that this negative information can be added to your report and bring down your FICO score. I suppose if I didn’t have a job with the Bank, I might be a bit confused too. Our mother practically raised us in the library and had us participate in other development programs that trained our impressionable minds to see beyond our horizons. if only I had the foresight then, but I digress.

So, back to UAWs. According to some wealthy folks, those who started young or inherited money an underachiever of wealth has less than 100k in liquid assets and less than 1M in brokerage/investment accounts. Well darn it, that would be the majority of working class citizens!

Listen, I know your time is valuable, so I won’t hold you much longer. Just understand how imperative it is to have those conversations with your kids and family members about goals and how to come together and make some real moves that your future selves will thank you for – now. Don’t wait til tomorrow, it’s not promised.